BASICS


BASICS: "Hummingbirds.....where is the person, I ask, who, on observing this glittering fragment of the rainbow, would not pause, admire, and turn his mind with reverence..." (J. J. Audubon).
This is a blog about my summer life at the Baiting Hollow Hummingbird Sanctuary, at my winter garden, Calypso, in the Bahamas, and aspects of life in general.
This private sanctuary is now permanently closed to the general public, as a result of a lawsuit brought by a neighbor. Only my friends and personal guests may visit (paul.adams%stonybrook.edu).

Thursday, September 28, 2017

shrimp plant; a hint of fall color

I did not see any hummers on wednesday morning, and only 1 the previous day, so it looks as though the end of the season is near. Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana) is aptly named because the pink/red bracts look like shrimp-tails. The nectar-containing flowers are white and much appreciated by hummingbirds. However the variety at the Sanctuary has a pink lower lip on the flowers. The first video shows a hummer feeding at shrimp plants with an occasional sip at purple porterweed. The second video is from a drone flying over the tree-tops to the west of the sanctuary. Some of the maples are already beginning to turn red.



Friday, September 22, 2017

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Fuchsia Attack



This afternoon this guy was trying to rest after feeding at a fuchsia plant but got attacked. 2X slo-mo

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

still some hummers after Jose: closed to humans but not to hummingbirds!

A couple of hummer clips from this morning - still at least 2, enthusiastically chasing each other, despite the strong winds over the last 24 hours, which cause the feeders to swing violently, even in relatively sheltered spots, as shown here. Unfortunately the general public can no longer visit the sanctuary, as a result of a lawsuit by a neighbor, but I will be regularly updating this blog with hummingbird news, videos and images, both at the sanctuary and elsewhere. Stay tuned!





there was also a much bigger bird soaring in the wind:


and here are some clips of the waves on the beach below the sanctuary







Monday, September 18, 2017

We enjoy the quiet weekend

Claire and I watched the remaining hummers and walked the clean beach this weekend.



Friday, September 15, 2017

4k vid; Now Permanently Closed to the General Public - Surrender?


A perching hummer filmed at the sanctuary recently in 4K.

We have now closed permanently to the general public, in accordance with the terms of a lawsuit settlement I reached with my neighbor Kamal Bherwani. The title of the printed version of a recent Newsday article about the sanctuary closing was "Surrender" but I would describe it more as a strategic retreat. The sanctuary will continue to exist but I will no longer invite members of the general public - only my friends and other personal guests. However, part of the existing sanctuary may well be taken over by the Seatuck Association, and will hopefully be open to the public on a much more extended basis than I have attempted. Details will be announced at this blog.
Although the southward migration is now in full swing, there are still several hummingbirds at the sanctuary, competing for flowers and feeders as they fatten up in preparation for the long journey ahead. I also am "fattening up" - or at least earning my living as a part-time professor at Stony Brook University, and turning more of my energies and enthusiasm toward my students and collaborators. But then as the winter sets in, I and my wife Claire will be migrating south to the sunny isle of Eleuthera - fortunately spared by Irma's recent close passage (though Jose still churns 400 miles to the east of our beach) - and once again surrounded by magical hummingbirds.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Beak rubbing and preening


Hummingbirds usually carefully clean their bills after a feeding session.

No more available appointment dates. After September 15 we will permanently close to the general public, because of a lawsuit brought by a neighbor. However, we hope to re-open next year under a new owner, the Seatuck Association. If you would like to help make that happen, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to them, mentioning the Hummingbird Sanctuary. 

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Manorville Vids; Dates





Manorville is a good location for hummingbirds, mainly because it has extensive woods. I visited a friend, Dominick, and filmed some of the hummers frequenting his feeders. Dominick later visited the sanctuary and I will feature some of the photos he took here in my next post.

Currently available appointment dates are as follows:  tues sept 12, pm only; wed sept 13, am only; thur sept 14 am,pm; fri sept 15 pm only. am = 10-12.30; pm = 3-5.  Please email paul.adams$stonybrook.edu to request an appointment. If you could walk up the half-mile from Sound Ave, please let me know. After September 15 we will permanently close to the general public, because of a lawsuit brought by a neighbor. However, we hope to re-open next year under a new owner, the Seatuck Association. If you would like to help make that happen, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to them, mentioning the Hummingbird Sanctuary. 

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Footless; Dates


Today's brilliant photo from the sanctuary is by Bob Immoor.

Currently available appointment dates are as follows:   tues sept 12, pm only; wed sept 13, am only; thur sept 14 am,pm; fri sept 15 pm only. am = 10-12.30; pm = 3-5.  Please email paul.adams$stonybrook.edu to request an appointment. If you could walk up the half-mile from Sound Ave, please let me know. After September 15 we will permanently close to the general public, because of a lawsuit brought by a neighbor. However, we hope to re-open next year under a new owner, the Seatuck Association. If you would like to help make that happen, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to them, mentioning the Hummingbird Sanctuary. 

Hummingbirds are traditionally placed, together with swifts, in the order "Apodiformes", meaning "footless". This is a reference to their very small feet, which are not used for walking. However, as Bob's picture (and Mark's picture in my previous post) beautifully illustrate, their feet are far from totally lacking, or even particularly small. However when flying they are held tucked under the body, like a plane's undercarriage, and not very obvious. Hummingbirds now have their own order, the Trochiliformes, which is part of a "super-order", the Apodimorphae. This is an extremely large order, exceeded in species richness only by the songbirds.